Siem Reap - Battambang - Bangkok - Ko Tao - Ko Pha Nang

Week nine has been another week of callosal journeys and very uncomfortable ones at that: Siem Reap to Battambang in a speed boat that had no speed and took 7.5 hours, a taxi from Battambang to Poipet on the Thai border with another 4 hours to Bangkok in a mini van. Bangkok to Chumpon on a night bus followed by the last leg of the journey on a a ferry at 7am in the morning. That sufficied!The Lying Planet described Battambang as "an elegant riverside town showing the best preserved French-period architecture in the country". Surely someone mixed up the name of the town and the description. Instead it was tatty, dirty with nothing to do or see. The boat from Siem Reap to Battambang was small, noisy and had side slats to sit on which were hugely uncomfortable. Initially there was equal distribution down both sides of the boat of Cambodians and travellers but Capitan pointed at me to swap sides as the travellers were weighing down their side. All was fine until we passed another passanger boat and SWOOSH, SPLASH. Me and all the Camodian children were drenched as we were caught in a wave. The screams were replaced by laughter as we all assessed the muddy soaking. The floating villages along the Tonle Sap were interesting: shops, houses, petrol stations, schools and Police stations all built on water. The journey took extra time due to low water levels at this time of year so we were all very glad to get off the boat in Battambang.After a lovely vegetable Amok dinner the night before in the company of a nice Austrian couple Battambang had nothing more to offer. The day however started with a challenge: how to get out of town when the daily 12 o clock bus to Bangkok was not running due to the New Year. The hotel owner tried to exhorbantly charge me for a taxi but the words "you won't get it any chaper" meant Rabbitts had a mission to accomplish. I got a lift via moped with all my bags once again to the taxi stand at the other end of town and my driver found me a taxi to the border. Little did I know that for 10 USD I would have to share the taxi with 7 other adults, 2 children and a chicken! There were four adults in the back, a baby and a little girl sharing my knee with four more adults in the front. The driver shared his seat with a passanger wedged up against the door. The lady managed to breast feed the sweetest little baby boy and throw up into a bag at the same time whilst the driver drove for two hours one handed (it was automatic) and speak on his mobile phone. Luckily the chicken in the boot didn't suffocate nor leave any presents on my bag. The border was easily crossed but I was feeling quite unwell by now probably due to the greasiest omlet ever for breakfast. Water, aircon and a hunky hungover Canadian sat next to me sorted me out for the four hour mini van trip to Bangkok.Bangkok was celebrating the last night of Songkram so Jen who was in the mini van and I went and got soaked and covered in talk. We were undefended with no supersoakers but had the best sober fun for a long time making our way down the Ko Sahn Road. It was refreshing to see mainly Thais down a road which is normally so full of tourists and they were having a fantastic night. I stayed near the Ko Sahn Roadin the most unfriendly guest house ever: Four Sons. My first single bed was uncomfortable, my room tiny and not at all sound proof. I expected all of the above from Bangkok but it all contributed to my feeling of utter exhaustion. As a consequence The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho didn't get my fullest enthusiasm but as KV put things into perspective "it wasn't as if I had to go to work the next day" and so I pulled myself together. I called Lloyds Bank to sort out yet another disputed debit on my account, bought a USB card reader to replace the one I lost last week (sorry Dad) and succumbed to a filllet of fish and fries at Macdonalds in the MBK Shopping Centre. (utter shame on me)Leaving Bangkok involved another all night journey but what greeted us weary travellers at the other end was well worth a night on a bus and ferry: Ko Tao. The 7pm bus left us at Chumpon ferry port at 2am and after Sean the Super Snorer had kept us awake for part of the journey having to stay awake until 7am was a bit exhausting. It didn't matter too much though because I met two great Scottish girls: Tracey and Gill from Glasgow. Upon arrival at Sairee Beach I managed to find a smelly "luxury villas" hut for 200 baht a night as no one was interested in offering a non- diving Rabbitts a special deal or a free hut.I met up with G and T for our first sundowner and dinner that evening which was a theme consistant with the rest of the next week in Ko Tao. Maya restaurant with its lanterns and sand sculptures for Pad Thai and the Lotus bar for our fill of Chang beer and buckets. It was fantastic to stay somewhere for more than a few days after the mega journeys through Cambodia and also to have some great company. Tracey is very funny and Gill (Pap) loves to take lots of pictures so that explains the pictures of us laughing on Facebook.The week culminated with the Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan which was rumoured to be cancelled due to elections being held on the same day. There was however no evidence of cancellation as the hundreds of bucket stall holders set up for business. I went to Ko Pha Ngan on my own and had to stay up all night as I didn't have any accommodation. I bumped into loads of people: Sean the Super Snorer and his large group, Will from Asia Divers, I hung out with the Chippendales from Canberra for ages, met some lads from Enfield and bumped into the lads from Hull who ran off in the other direction. Thanks boys for that number. Strange really when it was them who mentioned the Full Moon Party to me all that time back in Vietnam!